Anura says 90 % of academics quit posts

May 26, 2011, 9:32 pm

By Saman Indrajith

DNA parliamentary group leader MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Thursday said that about 90 per cent of university academics had resigned their voluntary posts in spite of a government claim to the contrary. The JVPer told parliament university teachers weren’t ready to compromise their demand for the rectification of salary anomalies.

Making a special statement on the university crisis, Dissanayake said that of the 318 heads of department in universities 278 had resigned to pressure the government to grant their demands. He said that the government had assured university teachers several months back that their salary anomalies would be rectified.

He warned Parliament on July 20, 2010 of the danger of a major crisis due to failure on the part of the government to take meaningful steps to address grievances of the academic community.

He had brought the situation to the notice of the President twice, though the government did nothing except play politics with the issue, MP Dissanayake said recalling how Higher Education Minister S. B. Dissanayake had promised to increase the salary of the lowest grade from Rs. 20,750 to Rs 72,000 and lowest salary of senior lecturers from Rs 57,755 to Rs 200,000.

The MP said that the government wasn’t genuine in its efforts to settle the issue.